Metro

Witch Persecution and Miscarriage of Justice in Adamawa

Published

4 years ago

April 25, 2021

NewTimes

Witch Persecution and Miscarriage of Justice in Adamawa, Nigeria

By Leo Igwe

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) urges the Adamawa state government to take urgent measures to tackle witch trials and persecution in the state. This appeal has become necessary following reported cases of abuse linked to witchcraft allegations and the failure of state institutions to address this menace. Through the office of the National Human Rights Commission in Yola, AfAW has received reports of witch persecution in Adamawa.

In one case, a 17-year old girl, Ms. Remigius was accused of witchcraft and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. According to a local source, the incident took place sometime in October/November in 2018 in Gaya district in Adamawa-Hong local government. The district head, Idris Abdullahi presided over the witch trial. Mr. Abdullahi invited some traditional ‘witch doctors’ after a girl fell ill. The witch doctors gave her some concoctions and she mentioned the name of Ms. Remigius and two other girls who initiated her.

The district head invited these girls and asked if they were responsible for the girl’s ailment but they denied it. The girls were told to return on a particular date when they would be tested and confirmed if they were guilty or not. As part of the trial, the traditional witch doctor would give them some concoction to drink. A rope would be tied around their neck, while the other end of the rope is placed inside a hole that was dug purposely for this trial. The witch hunter would tie their hands behind their back. Anyone who is guilty would be unable to stand after taking the concoction. If the accused is guilty, he or she would fall into the hole.

A date was agreed when the girls would undergo the trial. However, out of fear, a mother to one of the accused girls asked her to accept so that she would not be subjected to this ordeal. And she accepted. The witch doctor fined her 50,000 naira (110 dollars) But Ms. Remigius stood her ground. She maintained her innocence and agreed to go through the trial. Her father opposed the trial but the district head and the traditional witch doctor insisted that the trial would go ahead.

On the said date, which was a market day, the witch doctor stripped Ms. Remigius naked and made her stand before the public. He gave her some concoction to drink and left her under the hot sun from 9.00 am to 4 .00pm. The grandmother and her sister went to the scene, which was the residence of Mallam Shuaibu but they did not allow them to see her.

According to a family source, others who also drank the concoction were vomiting in the night but Ms. Remigius did not. She inquired from the traditional witch doctors who stated that she had not been fully initiated, that she was six months away from being fully initiated into the witchcraft world. The witch doctor asked Ms. Remigius to pay 150,000 naira (330 dollars) to stop her full initiation but she refused. Since the witch doctor was unable to confirm her guilt, Ms. Remigius’ father asked the district head and the witch doctor to release her daughter but they declined. They state that they would take her to the prison.

Ms. Remigius’ reported the matter at the local police station in Hong. The police met with the traditional witch doctor and the girl at the house of the district head. They released Ms. Remigius and she went home with the father. Ms. Remigius’ family took her to a local hospital where she was medically examined and treated for the injuries. The rope bruised her neck and hands.

In addition, Ms. Remigius’ family filed a complaint with the state police command in Yola, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and the office of the National Human Rights Commission. According to family sources, the police told the complainants to report back several times and nothing came out of the process. The commissioner of Justice and the NHRC office in Yola invited the district head but he did not honor the invitation. After going through the complaint, the office of the NHRC in Yola awarded a compensation of 50,000 naira to the accused. However, family sources revealed that the said amount had yet to get to the accused.

In a related development, another woman, Mrs. Wisdom (55), has been subjected to torture, inhumane and degrading treatment in the name of witchcraft in Njoboliyo in Yola south. According to a relative, Mrs. Wisdom was severally accused. A Christian pastor, Imani Gideon was the main driver of the accusations. Pastor Gideon used to conduct prayer sessions at his residence and during the program, some people go into a trance to make some confessions. The pastor has some teenage girls, called the angels, who claim to have supernatural powers and they usually reveal those who have occult powers in the community.

On one occasion, a woman confessed during a prayer session that Mrs. Wisdom wanted to kill her family member through occult means. Another man attempted to murder Mrs. Wisdom with a machete and javelin in the night. The daughter claimed that Mrs. Wisdom wanted to kill her in the dream. Fortunately, some neighbors intervened and the man could not harm him. Shortly after that another man, Absalom Ausa, broke into Mrs. Wisdom’s house and attacked her. He hit her with a big stick and injured her on the hand and head. But Mrs. Wisdom managed to escape to a local police station.

From there she was taken to a local hospital where she was treated. On her return from the hospital, the elder brother of Absalom, Babangida saw Mrs. Wisdom at the premises of the police station. He held her on her clothes and slapped her. The police did not arrest or punish this man. Mrs. Wisdom continued to live in fear for her life and at a point, she fled the village and went to live with a relative in Yola North. While she was living there, Pastor Gideon through the village head invited her to his residence for some prayers but she refused to go fearing that they would harm her. After some time, the pastor sent some thugs in a car with a police officer and they came and abducted her.

On reaching the pastor’s residence, they forced her to lie on the floor and tried to pluck out the eyes. They accused her of killing the first wife of the pastor. And the second wife alleged that Mrs. Wisdom used her mystical powers to stop her from getting pregnant. They beat her and broke her leg.

They removed her wedding ring claiming that it was an occult ring. In the presence of villagers and a police officer, they stripped her naked and flogged her with a power cable, and put some pepper on her private part. In addition, they hit her on the head with heavy metal and continued to beat her with a cable and a big stick that they call Gora in Hausa language. They also gave her some concoction to drink. In the cause of the trial, the Pastor’s wife said that God told her that she would give birth to twins named Paul and Paulina. But Mrs. Wisdom prevented her from getting pregnant.

One of those torturing Mrs. Wisdom told her to make the pastor’s wife pregnant before November otherwise they would kill her anywhere they found her. According to family sources, they tortured Mrs. Wisdom to the point that she agreed to all the allegations so that she could remain alive. A man was the community later intervened and they stopped torturing. The following day they brought the woman back to her residence.

Some family members took her to the hospital where she has been receiving treatment. They later reported the matter to the National Human Rights Commission office in Yola. After examining the complaint, the commission awarded a compensation of 300,000 naira (530 dollars). Family sources told AfAW that the alleged witch has yet to receive the compensation. Here is a copy of the submission which the family made to the NHRC office in Yola: “Torture, Inhuman, Cruel and Degrading Treatment/False Accusation: The whole incident started with series of accusations from some of the members of her community.

Then one Rejoice claimed that the victim tried to kill her elder brother when the prayer was going on. Also on a subsequent occasion one with the name lovely a male, came and attempted to kill the victim with javelin and machete in the night when he was told by his daughter that she dreamed that the victim came with a knife wanted to kill her. But fortunately for the victim, her neighbors stop him and he went away.

After some months from the precious incident then one Absalom Ausa, a male, came to the victim house and hit her with a big stick on her head and even injures her and cut both her finger and her palm, and broke the door of the par-low and main room into pieces. Seeing that the victim ran to the police station of the village and she was taking to the hospital where she was been treated. On the same day after they left the hospital and return to the police station then the elder brother to Absalom with the name Babangida Ausa held her shirt and rapper and Slap her and tore it.

After three weeks after the incident at the police station, when the pressure on the victim got high she ran from the village to her elder sister in Rumde Makera, yola north, with the help of some people. Then the Village Head sent one of his guard, S.O (Station Officer) and vigilante to her elder sister house to come with the victim but she refused to go with them, then they called the pastor on phone and told him, after hearing that the pastor sent his car and some strong men to come with her. And they came and took her away with the promise that the pastor will only pray for her.

On reaching the pastor’s resident they laid her down trying to plug out her eyes they said she is the one that killed the first wife of the pastor. And his second wife said that she was the one who prevented her from getting pregnant. And because of the pastor’s wife, they broke the victim’s leg and they even removed her wedding ring that which’s an occult ring Still in the presence of the village Head the pastor his Wife, S.O and many other people who came to see what was happening, the stripped her naked, tortured her with electrical wire and they also put/applied pepper on her private part. Only God and she knew the pains she was going through at that time and even after.

But that’s was not even enough, they took one heavy metal with it the have been hitting her head with it. After that, they continued beating her with electric cable on her body, and with another big stick known as Gora in the Hausa Language, they hit her leg hard which lead to a fracture in the leg. Whenever they asked her to agree to the accusation when she says no they continue beating and torturing her, they even gave her Acid to drink which she did, when she prayed in her heart unknowingly to them, and to the glory of God she didn’t die as expected by them.

The wife of the pastor said God told her that she will get pregnant and give birth to two children with the name Paul and Paulina but the victim prevented that from happening. And one of the torturers by the name Gabriel Clair who broke her leg said if she didn’t make her get pregnant before November last year, Anywhere they see you they will kill you. They did a lot of atrocities to her and damage her health physically and psychologically, with some of the pictures attached herewith will prove to you beyond all reasonable doubt, not when you even see her physically the scars are evident.

The pastor has some teenage children who they refer to them as angels they are the ones who claimed to have supernatural powers who can see beyond human eyes, they are the ones that told the pastor who is an occult person and witchcraft. They tortured my mother to the point that she had no choice but to agree to their accusations so that she will live. And what they do is, they will call the name of someone and said are you the one that killed that person she will answer yes, just anything they said she will agree to it.

Lastly, the most painful thing is that no single prayer has been done to her which is what they said they will take her there for, but they ended up beating, torturing, and threatening her life. They tarnished her image, making almost 90% of her own community people and other people outside, see her as a witch”

Local sources have noted that witch trials and persecution are pervasive in Adamawa. District and village heads often invite traditional doctors and pastors to carry witch finding and witch cleansing in the communities. Witch hunters administer concoctions to alleged witches. These concoctions are poisonous and sometimes lead to death or permanent health damage. Victims of witch persecution largely suffer in silence.

They resign to their fate and do not speak out or seldom take action against their accusers and persecutors. As the two cases have illustrated, even in situations where they seek redress, justice is elusive. The police are unable to carry out arrested and investigations. The attorney general cannot ensure that justice is done. Even compensations that the NHRC promised have yet to get to the victims. AfAW is concerned over the inability of state institutions to protect and defend alleged witches in Adamawa AfAW is outraged that sometimes state agents such as police officers are complicity in horrific witch abuse and trials in the communities.

AfAW asks the police and government of Adamawa to arrest and prosecute district and village heads, Christian, Muslim, and traditional witch doctors, and other perpetrators of witch-hunting in the communities. The government should ensure that there are serious consequences for indulging in witch persecution and trial by ordeal of alleged witches.

AfAW enjoins the NHRC to make good its promise of compensating victims of witch persecution. The Commission should ensure that the compensation of 50,000 naira and 300,000 naira reaches Ms. Remigious and Mrs. Wisdom respectively. Compensations are pointless and empty promises if the recompense is not delivered to those who suffered harm or loss.

AfAW appeals to the people of Adamawa to abandon superstitions including misconceptions about the cause of misfortunes and embrace science and critical thinking. Dream experiences are fantasies informed by wishful thinking and anxieties. People of Adamawa should become advocates against witchcraft accusations and witch persecution.

They should join efforts with AfAW to dispel witchcraft fears and anxieties and make witchcraft accusations and witch-killing history in 2030.

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Metro

CJ And Challenge Of Witchcraft In Bauchi

Published

3 weeks ago

February 22, 2025

NewTimes

Witch Burning, Impunity And Abuses Linked to Witchcraft Beliefs In Benue State

Dr Leo Igwe

By Leo Igwe

The recent statement by the Chief Judge(CJ) of Bauchi state, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar bemoaning the rising cases of witchcraft in the state has been brought to the attention of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches. The CJ and other members of the Administrative Justice Committee visited prisons to review the cases of awaiting trial inmates. Describing the adjudication of witchcraft cases as a persistent challenge to legal jurisprudence in the state the CJ noted: “If you are not a witch, you cannot identify one”. She then went further to say that witchcraft is “an issue that is difficult to prove unless the accused confesses”(sic). The Advocacy for Alleged Witches is concerned by these pronouncements.

The expression: “It takes a witch to identify a witch” may appear innocuous, but it is not. The statement is a tacit validation of witchcraft, a reinforcement of the belief because the statement implies that witch identification is possible under some form. That witch identification is a capacity that some people have or could have; that ‘witches’, as popularly believed, are identifiable entities. Helen Ukpabio of the Liberty Gospel Church exploits this narrative in her witch-hunting business. She claims to be an ex-witch and to have powers to identify witches and exorcise witchcraft. Was she a witch? No. Does she have powers to identify or exorcise witchcraft? No.

Meanwhile, witches do not exist, and no one has the ability to identify witches and wizards, as popularly believed. Those who claim to have witch-identifying powers are charlatans. The CJ should not make statements that glorify charlatans and charlatanism, statements that validate their bogus claims and practices.

In addition, the CJ also stated that witchcraft accusations were difficult to prove unless the accused person confessed. Confessed? That witches confess is another narrative that some use to confuse the public and validate witchcraft. Do ‘witches’ confess? No, they do not because they cannot and more importantly because they are not. To confess, witches must first exist; they must first be in the position to confess. Accused persons are not capable of witchcraft powers.

As imaginary entities, witches cannot confess as popularly believed. Accused persons are beaten to admit ‘witchcraft’. Are the admissions witch confessions? Their accusers subject them to torture, jungle justice, and trial by ordeal. They make them admit to doing what they did not do; to perpetrating occult harm. Many people mistake the incoherent utterances of people with dementia and other mental health challenges for witch confessions, they are not. Accused people do not confess, they are tortured to confess. Psychopaths and sociopaths torture them to confess. Witch confessions are not proofs of witchcraft. They do not constitute evidence that is admissible in court, beyond reasonable doubt.

Witchcraft is a sensitive subject. The CJ and other state actors should be careful and thoughtful in commenting to avoid confusing the public and validating misconceptions and superstitions. State actors should stick to the law and avoid making utterances that could undermine the letters and spirit of the law. The Nigerian law does not recognize witchcraft. It criminalizes witchcraft accusations. It criminalizes trial by ordeal and jungle justice. To make allusions that imply witches exist or are identifiable undermines the spirit of the law. To claim that confessions prove witchcraft is a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation of the law. To accept a witch confession, one must first acknowledge the confessor is a witch. So, an extraction of witch confession is an exercise in criminality.

So the expression that it takes a witch to identify a witch is a misguided statement. Justice Umar and other state actors should make it clear to the public that witchcraft accusations are against the law and those who accuse or make the accused confess are liable.

Igwe, PhD, directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.

Metro

Witch Hunts And Human Rights: Insights From The Adamawa Roundtable

Published

1 month ago

January 27, 2025

NewTimes

By Dooyum Dominic Ingye

On January 22, 2025, I returned from Yola, Adamawa State, where I attended a roundtable discussion on witchcraft hunts in the 21st century. The event, held on January 21, 2025, took place at the conference hall of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), a newly commissioned and magnificent edifice. According to the Coordinator and staff of the Commission, it was not only the first event they had hosted since the building’s commissioning, but it also marked an unprecedented dialogue on an aspect of human rights violations that had never been previously discussed or deliberated upon at such a platform.

The roundtable discussion, which included an award ceremony, was sponsored by the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) in collaboration with the NHRC. Representing AfAW at this landmark event, I delivered a presentation that highlighted AfAW’s mission, objectives, and activities. This included documentation of witch hunts and superstitious beliefs, case interventions, strategies, impacts, achievements, and calls to action.

Dooyum Dominic Ingye and Grace Mamza

Prior to the event, AfAW had been working with the Coordinator of the NHRC Yola office, Mrs. Grace Mamza, to defend and support individuals accused of witchcraft in Adamawa State. Like Benue and Imo States, Adamawa has become a troubling hotspot for witchcraft accusations and persecution. According to findings by AfAW and the NHRC’s Senior Operations Manager, many people in Adamawa’s rural areas are subjected to witch hunts, yet these cases are rarely reported.

AfAW is currently managing three notable cases in Adamawa State. In the most prominent case, a woman with four children was accused by her husband’s second wife of using witchcraft to manipulate him. This accusation led to the tragic death of the woman’s daughter and her subsequent separation from her husband. AfAW has actively taken up her case, providing her with legal, economic, and psychological support. In another case, the National Director of AfAW, Dr. Leo Igwe, released a press statement condemning the acquittal of a suspect who had murdered an accused woman.

Recognizing the urgent need for action, AfAW organized the roundtable discussion to sensitize key stakeholders, including vigilance groups, police officers, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, religious leaders, community leaders, students, the press, and NHRC staff.

The program commenced with opening remarks by Grace Mamza, the NHRC Coordinator, who emphasized the Commission’s commitment to defending human rights, particularly those of women and children who are frequent victims of witch hunts. She expressed gratitude to AfAW for its collaborative efforts and pledged the Commission’s continued support in eradicating witch hunts in Adamawa State.

Although absent, Dr. Leo Igwe, the National Director of AfAW, shared a goodwill message that I presented on his behalf. In his message, Dr. Igwe underscored the alarming prevalence of witchcraft accusations and related violence in Adamawa, including recent cases of murder. He called on law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and the government to enforce legal protections for victims, ensure justice, and end impunity for perpetrators. He criticized delays in court processes and judicial failures in handling such cases. Dr. Igwe reaffirmed AfAW’s goal of ending witchcraft accusations and persecution in Nigeria by 2030 through advocacy, education, and enforcement, and he urged stakeholders to collaborate to achieve this critical mission.

In my presentation, I elaborated on the work of AfAW, founded by Dr. Leo Igwe, which is dedicated to eradicating human rights violations arising from witchcraft accusations across Africa. AfAW focuses on raising awareness, protecting victims, and promoting policy reforms to combat these abuses.

Witchcraft accusations often target vulnerable groups such as women, children, and individuals with disabilities, leading to brutal assaults, forced confessions, banishment, and even deaths.

I outlined various cases handled by AfAW to demonstrate the dangers of superstition and witch persecution. I explained how AfAW counters these practices through public sensitization campaigns, critical thinking workshops, case interventions, and collaborations with traditional, religious, and governmental stakeholders.Additionally, AfAW advocates for legislative reforms to criminalize harmful cultural practices.

I highlighted AfAW’s achievements, which include raising public awareness, resolving individual cases, and influencing policy. I emphasized that AfAW will continue to promote rational thinking, strengthen partnerships, and encourage community responsibility to end witch-hunting and protect human dignity. The presentation stimulated a robust discussion, with participants expressing strong support for AfAW’s mission. Many pledged to act as advocates against witch hunts in their communities.

A significant highlight of the event was the presentation of the Advocate of the Year Award to Grace Mamza. Each year, AfAW honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the campaign against witch hunts. In a society where witch hunts are often celebrated, it is essential to recognize and encourage those who actively condemn and combat such abuses. Grace Mamza was selected for her exceptional efforts, including her collaboration with AfAW to defend accused persons in Adamawa.

A few months earlier, in 2024, Ann Kyado received the award for her courageous work with AfAW in seeking justice for her father’s accusers, despite facing immense community pressure and threats. I had the honor of conferring the award, which included a financial token, on Mrs. Grace Mamza.

In my closing remarks, I reminded participants to fulfill their promises by acting as advocates against witch hunts in their communities. I encouraged them to challenge superstitious beliefs by asking probing questions and adopting logical or scientific approaches to problem-solving. As one participant noted, anyone could potentially be accused, underscoring the urgent need to eradicate witch hunts. I concluded by urging everyone to thrive in their efforts to protect human rights and dignity.

Ingye is the Program Manager,
Advocacy for Alleged Witches.

Metro

Ritualists On Rampage In Asaba

Published

2 months ago

January 4, 2025

NewTimes

By Leo Igwe

An advocate has messaged the Advocacy for Alleged Witches, drawing attention to the activities of suspected ritualists in Asaba, the capital of Delta State. In the message, the advocate stated: “God saved me from another mourning this beautiful year. This morning, my late friend’s teenage daughter was dropped off at a salon near Midwifery Road by her aunt, who rushed to clean her church, House of the Rock. This happened before 7:00 a.m., the area was quiet, and shops were closed”.

After the drop-off, some people came in a car to the point where she was standing. The message continued: “As the aunt drove away, she, the girl, noticed a cream-colored Camry with a license plate starting with AYB. The Camry approached her, and a young man came out and ordered her inside. They took her phone, and power bank, the attachment that she wanted to use to make her hair. They also collected her ATM card and demanded her PIN ( she wisely gave the wrong one). They also questioned her about her virginity and abortion history. She told them she wasn’t a virgin and had done an abortion many times. Following her response, they drove to a point and pushed her out of the car, which was somewhere linking NTA Road”.

The lady approached some passersby, asking for assistance. Some ignored her, thinking she was mentally challenged. But she later met some people who were moved by her story and assisted her with some transportation fare. She returned home safely.

According to the advocate, the inquiry about her virginity made her suspect that these persons were ritualists. And they wanted to use her or her body parts for ritual sacrifice. She suspected that these ritualists wanted to collect her hymen for sacrifice, hence they asked her if she were a virgin. Some people believe that hymens from virgins have some magical potency and could yield money or wealth. There is no evidence for this belief. In the past, there have been cases where some ritualists stole female pants and sanitary pads.

On her Facebook page, the advocate warned the public: “Tell your daughters that they shouldn’t reveal their virginity to anyone if they are still intact. They are the targets of these bad guys .” By bad boys, she meant ritualists. At the end of her message, she said: “I pray for every girl’s safety; may none fall victim to ritualists. I pray for Asaba also. May evil be flushed out. And for these ritualists, hand go touch una this week”. Through this advocate, we got through to the victim, Ms A, a 17-year-old law student at a local university. She confirmed the incident. She said they collected her phone, ATM card, and hair attachment. The estimated total cost is four hundred and ten thousand naira(410,000 naira).

We advised Ms A to be more careful and vigilant. We urged her to stay strong and not to entertain fears or worries that some people would use her for some ritual sacrifice, especially, in this case, that they took her hair attachment. We made it clear to her that there is no potency in the ritual sacrifice of anything, human or animal. That even if someone did such a sacrifice, it would have no impact on her. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches will explore ways of further support for Ms. A. AfAW acknowledges that there are criminals who kidnap, murder, and attack persons for ritual purposes. Some individuals harvest human body parts, including private parts and breasts. Many people indulge in the sacrifice of humans or their human body parts, believing that such rituals would yield money, power, success, or prosperity.

However, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches declares that ritual money beliefs are forms of superstition. Ritual money claims are based on fear and ignorance. AfAW has reported this incident to the police and urges the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious movement in their neighborhoods.

Let’s say no to ritual attacks and abuses. Let’s say no to superstitious belief in ritual money and sacrifice. Let’s leave superstitions and embrace science and critical thinking.

Igwe, PhD , directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches which campaigns against abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks.